Social media has become a tool of terror and fear, says CIA chief

US computer system under constant cyber attacks from all over the world

GN Bureau | March 14, 2015


#the us   #cia   #Pakistan   #india   #social media   #isis   #terror   #terrorist  

Nobody knows better about terror than this organization and one should take note when it talks. CIA Director John Brennan has said that changing technology and social media websites have “greatly amplified” the security threats facing the free world.

To illustrate his point he said that the Islamic State group, for example, uses new technologies to “coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda, and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name.”  Brennan was speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“The overall threat of terrorism is greatly amplified by today’s interconnected world, where an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away; and where a lone extremist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home,” he said.

The CIA director said that the Sunni radical terror group has grown to roughly 20,000 fighters from more than 90 countries.

Brennan revealed that the US government computer networks are under assault every day from foreign governments, terrorists and hackers of all stripes. He said America's adversaries are "skilled, agile and determined" and matching them will require focus and imagination — from government and private industry. Last week, Brennan created a new cyber unit at the CIA. Intelligence community considers cyber threats a greater risk to national security than terrorism.

Meanwhile, the State Department said on Friday it was temporarily shutting down Internet service on its unclassified computer network to clean up malware and boost defenses against cyberattacks. The network was breached in November and malware was said to have been inserted by hackers. The department refused to confirm published reports that Russia's government is behind the hackers.

The CIA chief also classified Pakistan along with Iraq, Syria and North Korea as global hotspots and these countries pose strategic and tactical challenges to policy makers.

"Developments in a host of countries across the globe are raising strategic and tactical challenges for policymakers and our Agency,"Brennan said, referring to countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, North Korea and Pakistan.

Comments

 

Other News

India’s forest cover increases by 5,516 sq km in four years

The Dehradun-based Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per the latest ISFR 2021, there is a

Steps taken to meet higher power demand of April-May

While the average growth of energy requirement in the country for 2023-24 viz-a-viz 2022-23 has been estimated as 4.9%, the months of April and May have been projected as high demand period. During the current year, the peak demand is expected to be around 229 GW during the summer period. The government ha

Millets to make comeback in army ration after half a century

As the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Indian Army has steered introduction of millets flour in the rations of soldiers. This landmark decision will ensure troops are supplied with native and traditional grains after over half a century, when these were discontinued in favour

Central Bank Digital Currency has game-changing potential

When discussing digital currency, you might think of one or two well-known varieties. There is the digital representation of currency that you access with mobile and online banking services. This currency is the liability of a commercial bank. There is also cryptocurrency, a digital medium of exchange issu

An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years: The Endgame

The Indian President: An Insider’s Account of the Zail Singh Years By K.C. Singh HarperCollins, 312 pages, Rs.699  

‘My Father Was a Simple Man’: Remembering Gen. Rawat

Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform By Rachna Bisht Rawat Penguin, 207 pages, Rs 599 On the morning of 8 December 202

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook    Twitter    Google Plus    Linkedin    Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter